Interlocked complete-circle headband with separate but interconnected non-detachable ponytail holder

ABSTRACT

Interconnected, stretchy, complete-circle headband (with or without fabric covering, with or without absorbent fabric covering, with or without patterned elastic, and with or without decorative embellishment) with separate but interlocked stretchy ponytail holder (with or without fabric covering) is used to simultaneously keep hair out of the face, while off the neck, while anchoring the headband in place such that it doesn&#39;t slip off the head. Hair can be fashioned into a back ponytail, side ponytail, or pigtails (two ponytails), or other hair-securing styles such as buns and braids. Decorative embellishments may or may not be used to enhance the function (of the interlocked but separate headband and ponytail holder) with fashion and fun.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

D264391, May 1982, Schweitzer

U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,325, February 1988, Perry

U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,544, March 1991, Obergfell

D324765, March 1992, Obergfell

D344176, February 1994, Lawrence

U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,422, January 1997, Henderson

U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,585, February 1997, Stroup

U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,061, July 1997, Marcus

U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,488, March 1999, Milani

6076532, June 2000, Thomas et. al

D443954, June 2001, Blum et al.

D475804, June 2003, Stachowski

FOREIGN PATENTS

785551, August 1935, FR

283240, January 1914, DE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I claim the functional utility and ornamental design of aproblem-solving mechanism for hair containment intended to be used for avariety of activities in women (even men) and girls (and/or boys with asimilar need) of all ages, in order to be useful to simultaneously keephair out of the face, off the neck, and to keep the headband in place.Is functional, but also can be fashionable (per the patterned elastic,fabric, and or decorative embellishments).

In early 2012, as a solution to a hair containment problem, 10 year oldAshley Genzlinger strung together several ponytail holder elastics withone additional hanging off but connected, resulting in a combinedfull-circle headband elastic with an interconnected ponytail holder.This all-in-one, non-detachable ponytail holder and headband combinationsolved three problems: 1) not having hair remain out of the face when ina ponytail, 2) not being able to keep hair off the neck when wearing aheadband, and 3) having full-circle elastic headbands slide off. Fromthis concept, a prototype was created of elastic, covered in fabric,sewn into a full-circle, stretchy headband, that has an interconnected,non-detachable ponytail holder. Together, the stretchy headband andstretchy ponytail keep hair off the face, hair off the neck, and theponytail anchored in place. Non-fabric, elastic only headbands withinterlocked ponytail holders were also created. The name “PonyBandz” ispending trademark. Fabric and non-fabric covered versions are often madewith decorative embellishments such as large flowers, buttons, and bows.Interconnected stretchy headband with interlocked stretchy ponytailholders can be used by people of all ages who are looking to a solutionto the hair containment problems listed above. They might be used forsports, teams, dance, gymnastics, tennis, soccer, golf, nursing or othermedical staff, food industry and service industry workers, for runningerrands, washing ones face, gardening or cleaning house. The ponytailcan be a side ponytail, back ponytail, bun, or pigtails (requiring twoponytail holders interconnected and interlocked with the headband).

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Headbands have historically been used to keep hair back from and off theface. Ponytail holders have historically been used to keep hair off theneck. This is a novel concept that allows for both to occursimultaneously while also anchoring the complete-circle headband inplace by the interlocked ponytail holder once it is secured in the hair.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Interconnected stretchy complete-circle headband with or without fabriccovering, with or without patterned elastic, and/or decorativeembellishment and interlocked stretchy ponytail holder is used tosimultaneously keep hair out of the face, while off the neck, whileanchoring the headband in place. It is used by putting the headbandaround the neck loosely, securing the hair in side, back, or twoponytails (pigtails) and then gently sliding the headband into placearound the head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES(Reference the FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 Documents)

FIG. 1 document:

[FIG. 1]

FIG. 1 (File=“BluePonyBandz”) shows an interlocked stretchycomplete-circle headband with a separate but interconnected stretchyponytail holder with no embellishment other than the sequins affixed tothe elastic.

[FIG. 2]

FIG. 2 (file “FabricPonyBandz”) shows an interlocked stretchycomplete-circle headband covered in decorative fabric (still allowingthe headband to stretch) with a separate but interconnected ponytailholder and decorative embellishment flower button.

[FIG. 3]

FIG. 3 shows (file “PurplePonyBandz”) shows an interlocked stretchycomplete-circle headband with a decorative embellishment and separatebut interlocked ponytail holder.

[FIG. 4]

FIG. 4 shows one way in which the new hair-containment apparatus mightbe used (in a side-ponytail) by an adult woman.

[FIG. 5]

FIG. 5 shows one way in which the new hair-containment apparatus mightbe used (in a side-ponytail) by a young girl.

FIG. 2 Document

[FIG. 6]

FIG. 6 shows the interlocked hair-containment solution with a flowerembellishment in a back ponytail with hair pulled over the shoulder.

[FIG. 7]

FIG. 7 shows a side view of pigtails worn with the interlocked ponytailholders and headband with fabric covering.

[FIG. 8]

FIG. 8 shows a front view of pigtails worn with the interlocked ponytailholders and headband with fabric covering.

[FIG. 9]

FIG. 9 shows an interlocked headband with two ponytail holders forpigtails, with a flower embellishment.

[FIG. 10]

FIG. 10 shows the back view of an interlocked headband with ponytailholders worn in a the pigtails (two side ponytails) style.

[FIG. 11]

FIG. 11 shows a detailed drawing of the interlocked full-circle headband(which may or may not have fabric covering, may or may not be of coloredor patterned elastic, and may or may not have decorative embellishmentsthat are detachable or non-detachable) interconnected with a separatebut non-detachable ponytail holder(s) which serves three simultaneouspurposes: 1) to hold the hair off the neck, 2) to hold the hair backfrom the face, and 3) to anchor the headband in place by use of theponytail hair retainer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Interconnected stretchy complete-circle headband with or without fabriccovering and/or decorative embellishment and separate but interlockedstretchy ponytail is used to keep hair out of the face, while off theneck, while anchoring the headband in place. It is used by putting theheadband around the neck loosely, securing the hair in side, back, ortwo ponytails (pigtails) and then gently sliding the headband into placearound the head. During manufacturing, the elastic headband has a fullcircle elastic ponytail holder slid over it before closure of the fullcircle headband. In this way, the ponytail holder is interlocked withthe interconnected ponytail holder(s). May or may not be calledPonyBandz™.

Under the spirit of this concept, the elastic used for the interlockedheadband can be thin or thick, round or flat, covered with fabric ornot, patterned or plain, embellished with decorations or not. Thefabric, if used, can be moisture absorbent or not. The interconnectedponytail holder can be one, two or more, can be covered with fabric ornot, and can be decorative itself or not. The elastic for the headbandcan be of various lengths in circumference from 12 inches to 24 inches.

NOTES

While the invention has been shown and described in detail in theforegoing description and pictures in the Appendices to theSpecification, the same is to be considered as illustrative and notrestrictive in character; it being understood that only the preferredembodiment has been shown and described and that all changes andmodifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desiredto be protected. For example, all possible decorative combinationscannot be shown; nor can be shown all possibilities, such as usingterry-cloth for the fabric covering in order to catch sweat for theactive applications, or the ability to use two ponytail holdersinterconnected with the headband in order to allow for pigtails, orusing coordinating or matching fabric to cover the ponytail holder aswell as the headband or just the ponytail holder (as in “scrunchy” styleof ponytail holder). Though such iterations are not shown andexhaustively described, it is our intent to protect similarly spiritedapplications of the concept.

1. We claim the utility of simultaneously holding hair back from theface and hair off the neck with separate but interlocked andnon-detachable complete-circle headband and stretchy ponytail holder. 2.We claim the utility of anchoring a complete-circle stretchy headband inplace by use of a stretchy ponytail holder that is interlocked butnon-detachable, such that it doesn't slip off the head.
 3. We claim theutility and function of fashionable function for various sports,errands, and other activities that are aided by keeping the hair off theneck, hair out of the face, and headband anchored in place all at once.